Steering gear



Sept." 18, 1923.

' 1,468,236 A. T. .KASLEY STEERING GEAR Filed April 16. 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

KQsIe yA A TTORNE Y Sept. 1 23.

STEERING EAR OF LESTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T WESTING- & MANUFACTURING COMIAN Y, A CORPORATION OF PENN- STEERING GEAR.

Application filed April 16, 1520. Serial No. 374,402.

To all it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER T. Kas- LEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lester, inthe county of Delawareand State of Plennsylvanim'have made a new and useful Invention in Steering Gear, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to steering gear and partiularly to that class of mechanism used 1n steering boats, and has for an object the production of a steering gear of simple and durable construction which may be employed for either light or heavy duty.

urther object is the production of a steering gear which may be readily controlled from any desired point on the boat or ship.

A further object is the production of a simple fluid actuated motor for operating the rudder of the boat which may be applied directly to the rudder shaft or operatively connected thereto so as to cause any desired movement of the rudder.

A further object is the production of an oscillatory fluid actuated motor for a ship rudder which is adapted 'to be operated by a reversible fluid circulating pump of simple construction requiring no Valves between the pump and the motor.

A further object is the production of steering gear wherein the rudder may move in response to strains imposed thereon by heavy seas without danger of injuring the operating mechanism.

These and other objects which will appearv in the further description of my invention are attained by the mechanism embodying my invention hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, wherein I ig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a steering gear constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation in enlarged scale of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1, showing portions of the pump and motor in vertical section.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of a modified form of motor for operating the rudder taken on the line III-III Fi 4.

ig. 4 is a transverse section of the motor on the line IV-IV of F 3.

. F g, 5.4 a side elevation in enlar scale of one-half of the casing shown in Fig. 3.

It is desirable that the operating mechanism for ship rudders be compact and capable of exerting ample power for controllin a boat encountering a heavy sea. It is al so desirable that the motor for operating the rudder maybe controlled from any desirable point on the boat, and that the rudder respond promptly and accurately rudder and connecting links 9 are operatively connected at one end to the ends of.

the cross arm 8 and at the cross arm 10 which is rigidly secured to the motor shaft 11. The cross arms 8 and 10 are of equal length, and a given angular motion of the motor shaft 11 causes an equal angular movement of the rudder shaft 7.

The motor comprises a cylindrical casing 12 preferably axially disposed in the plane of the axis of the rudder 0st. The lower end of the casing is closed y an end plate 13 which is provided with a socket 14 adapted to receive the lower end of the motor shaft 11 which extends upwardly and projects through the top plate 15 removably secured to the cylinder casing. Within the cylinder, a vane carrying member 16 is rigidly mounted upon the motor shaft 11, which member is provided with a pair of oppositely projecting vanes or wings 17 and 18, having suitable packing strips 19 to prevent leakage, the plston' vanes or wings be ing located within semi-cylindrical ortions or chambers of the cylinder 12 de ned by stationary diaphragm or partition members 20 and 21.- ber 16 is cylindrical in contour between the vanes and the inner edges of the stationary diaphragm or partition members are suitably sha ed to cooperate therewith and are preferab y provided with packing strips 2 2 to prevent l akage fr m one semiylindri other end to a The piston vane carrying memcal portion or chamber to the other. As shown, the piston vane or wing members '17 and 18 divide the semi-cylindrical porrection indicated by higher through tion the motor 30 is tions or chambersinto four segmental portions or chambers of variable volume depending upon the position of the movable piston vane or wing members, the segmental portions or chambers being indicated A, B, C, and D in Figure 1.

The motor is operated by fluid pressure supplied by a simple electrically driven gear pump 23 of a well known type. The pump comprises a casing 24 in which is mounted a air of intermeshing gears 25 and 26 snugly fitting the casing so that fluid cannot pass from one side of the gear to the other unless the gears are rotated. The casing is provided with two fluid passages 27 and 28, and when the gears are rotated in the direction indicated by the arrows in Fig. 2, fluid is pumped from thepump chamber E communicating with the assalge 28 and forced into the pump cham r communicating with the passage 27 Reversal of the gears causes the liquid to be forced in the opposite direction The or 25 is preferably directl connected to t e shaft 29 of the reversibleelectric motor 30, and the electric motor is controlled by any preferred form of reversing switch which may be located at any desired point on the ship. As shown, a reversing switch 31 is diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 2. If desired, a plurality of such switches ma be located at various points on the boat and the rudder may be controlled from any one of such switches.

As shown, a duid conduit 28 connects the pump chamber E with the motor segmental portion or chamber C, and a branch conduit 28 connects the pump chamber E with the motor segmental portion or chamber D. The passage 2? connects the pump chamber with the motor segmental rtion or chamber A, and a branch conduit 27 connects the pump chamber F with the motor se mental portion or chamber B.

en the pum gears are rotated in the direction indicat by the arrows in Fig. 2, the liquid, which is preferably oil, is circulated through the various con nits in the di the arrows in Fig. l. 011 is simultaneously forced into the so menial portions or chambers A and conduits 27 and 27 and exhausted from the segmental portions or chambers C and ll-through conduits 28 and 28. The pressure in the segmental portions or chambers A and B causesthe vanes 17 an ing rotation of the shaftll and a cone spon rotation of the shaft 7. When the rudder asbeen moved to'the desired posistoppedtlgibrea g the c t-cult at the reversing swi the pressure in the I d shaft or post 7 '18 to be rotated counter-clockwise, thus cans-- The vanes are then held against further movement in either direction for the reason that the oil in the motor cannot be displaced past the gears in the pump while they remain stationary. To reverse the position of the rudder, it is necessary to reverse the motor, which movement may be arrested when the rudder has assumed the desired position by again breaking the electrical circuit through the reversing switch.

in order to prevent abnormal strains being imposed upon the motor when the rudder is encountering heavy seas, the, diaphragms and 21 are provided with springtensioned pressure relief valves 31," 32, 33 and 34, the valves 3d and 32 serving to relieve segmental portions or chambers C and D when the abnormal thrust of the rudder tends to rotate shaft 11- in a counter-clockwise direction, and the valves 33 and 31 serving to relieve the pressure in the segmental portions or chambers A and B when the abnormalthrust of the rudder tends to rotate the shaft 11in a clockwise direction. lhe springs otthe valves are adjust-ably mounted upon the valve stems and their tension is so regulated that the valves will be held closed except when abnormal strains are transmitted from the rudder to the motor shaft, thereby avoiding possible injury to the mechanism.

It will be seen that the operation of the rudder is substanti 11 positive within certain limits and tha t e construction of the motor issuch that it responds instantly to movements of the pump. No valves are required between the pump and the motor,

and the pump is instantly responsive to the controlling switch.

Referring to Figs. 3, 4 and 5, l have illustrated a modified form of steering gear construction wherein the motor is adapted to.

be mounted directly upon the rudder shaft.

The apparatus is constructed so that the 1 column 36 adapted to surround the rudder The vanes '39 and 40 are constructed in one piece having a semi-cylindrical hub portion 41, the hub portion coopcrating with a semi-cylindrical hub portion or section d2 secured thereto to form a cylindrical hub portion, as indicated in Fig. 4.

The cylindrical hub fits between the central interior of the motor column 36 and the diaphragms 37 and 38, I so that the vanes attached to the hub are free to oscillate about the central column. The vanes and the diaphragms function in a manner similar to'those of the apparatus illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the vanes are secured directly to the rudder shaft or post 7 instead of being connected therewith .by link and lever mechanism. The vanes are attached to the shaft or post 7 by meansof a key 43, Fig. 3, which engages a collar 44 formed by extensions of the hub sections 41 and 42. The upper end of the flanged column 36 is provided with an integral collar 36 adapted to fit within the cylindrical hub of the vanes and serves as a top bearing for the center hub.

The collar 44 is provided with liquid collecting grooves 45 and 46 adjacent the collar 36" of the column 36 and the sleeve 47 carried by the cover 48.

a The electrical motor 30' and the pump 23' are mounted upon the motor cover 48, and the pump is connected to the chambers of the motor in a manner similar to that of the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. The diaphragms 37 and 38 are provided with relief valves 31', 32', 33' and 34' for relieving excessive pressure within the chambers. These valves may be placed'in the vanes instead of in the diaphragms if desired.

In order to conserve the oil which may leak past the cylindrical vane hub and surround the column 36 longitudinal oil passages 50 are provided in the flanges of the column extending from the top thereof to the exterior of the bottom of the casing. The oil leaking past the vane hub will rise to the top of the column 36* and then flow through the passage 50 into a suitable oil rece tacle 51 placed beneath the motor casing. K suction pipe 52 communicates with one of the chambers of the' motor and extends into the receptacle 51 so that its intake is near the bottom thereof. The pipe is provided with a check valve 52' adapted to permit oil to flow from the receptacle into the chamber, but to prevent an outward flow of oil from the chamber. A suitable deflector 53 is socured to the rudder shaft 7' to direct oil from the shaft into the receptacle 51;

\Vhcnever the chamber to which the pipe is connected is subjected to the exhausting action of the pump, oil is drawn out of the receptacle and into the chamber. Thus any of t e oil leaking from the motor-will return to the system. The construction illustrated in Figs. 3, 4 and 5 is compact and eliminates the necessity for connecting links between the motor and the rudder shaft. The motor is controlled in the same manner specifically set forth as is that of the construction illustrated in Figs 1 and 2.

0 Vhile I have shown my invention in two forms, it will be obvious to 'thoseskilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and- I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed .by the' P110! art or as are in the appended claims.

\Vliat I claim is: 1. The combination with an oscillatory rudder, of a cylindrical casing, partition 75. members for dividing the casing into semi: cylindrical portions, an oscillatory vane in each semi-cylindrical portion operatively connected to the rudder, means for supplying fluid pressure to one side of each vane for moving the latter to actuate the rudder, and pressure relief means carried by the partition members, whereby the fluid pressure is relieved upon the reaction of the rudder exceeding a predetermined amount.

2. The combination with an oscillatory rudder, of a cylindrical casing, partition members for dividing the casing into semicylindrical portions, an oscillatory piston vane in each semi-cylindrical portion operatively connected to the rudder means for supplying and relieving pressure on the sides of the piston vanes for moving the latterto actuate the rudder, and meanscarried by the partition members for relieving pressure on either side thereof upon the reactive force of the rudder exceeding a predetermined amount.

3. A motor for operating an oscillatory member, comprising a cylindrical casing, an oscillatory vane dividing the cylinder longitudinally into two compartments and adapted to oscillate about the longitudinal central axis of the cylinder and adapted to engage the walls of the cylinder so tially prevent the escape of fluid from one compartment to the other, stationary vanes I in the cylinder dividing each of the said compartments into two fluid chambers and cooperating with the said vane so as to Sub-' stantially prevent the escape of fluid from one chamber to the other, means for su plying fluid under pressure to the diametrically opposite chambers and for exhausting the fluid from the remaining chambers, and 115 means forrelieving the pressure in the cham- 7 bars when the strain on the oscillatory mem-. ber exceeds a determined amount.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 30th day of March, 1920.

ALEXANDER TAYLOR KASLEY.

as to substan- 

